Amidst COVID-19 scare

TACLOBAN CITY- Just like the rest of the country, panic buying on some essentials have become a common scenario at various shopping malls, drug stores, and other business establishments in this city and other parts of Eastern Visayas amidst fear of coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).
In particular, easily out of shelves are alcohol and face masks.
Big establishments like the Robinsons and Save More have imposed a policy of carrying temperature scanning for those entering the mall, causing a long line and taking time before one could enter the facility.
And those whose body temperature is 38 Celsius degree and up are required to proceed to a nearest clinic or hospital for possible treatment.
Hand sanitizers are also available for the customers to use.
Some schools have also enforced of taking body temperatures among their students, faculty members and visitors as a caution against the virus.
Anthea Aivi Ancheta, information officer of the regional office of the Department of Trade and Industry, said that they are constantly monitoring the much sough-after items as she appealed to the public not to resort to panic-buying.
“We are appealing to the public to stop panic buying because this might limit the supplies available and affect further prices due to high demand,” she said.
According to her, store owners and retailers have assured their office that there are enough stocks alcohol, in particular.
John Paul Roca, information officer of the regional office of the Department of Health, asked the public not to do panic buying saying this would not help the situation.
“Panic is not the good thing that we should do in this crisis on COVID-19. Make sure we protect our self from the virus by frequently handwashing the hands using soap and water. Do the cough etiquette and boost your immune system,” he said.
A sales lady at the Gaisano Central, who declined not be named, said that alcohol has become the most saleable item.
“We don’t have supply of alcohol right now. People snap them the moment we put them into display at the shelves,” she said.
Meantime, several officials of the region are also making efforts to fight misinformation regarding COVID-19 as messages, both in online and text, spread claiming that there are ‘confirm’ cases of said disease.
“Please stop spreading fake news. We have to be responsible to what we post on social media,” Mayor Gerard Espina of Naval town in Biliran said on his Facebook account.t
Tacloban City Mayor Alfred Romualdez said that aside from to properly observe the precautionary measures laid down by the DOH, the public should always be vigilant.
“The public must continue to stay vigilant and employ prevention of the spread within the community level. (And) in case of any observed symptoms in any individual, immediately contact the City Health Office,” he said on a directive.
(ROEL T. AMAZONA/JOEY A. GABIETA)

TACLOBAN CITY- A total of 55 grams of suspected shabu with estimated value of P374, 000 were confiscated from two alleged female drug personalities during a buy-bust in Calbayog City on March 8.
Joint operatives from Calbayog City Police and Philippine Drug Enforcement Agency (PDEA) in Samar arrested Corazon Cabajog, 57, and Jennylyn Magbutay, 30, both single, jobless, and residents of the city.
They were nabbed at around 11:00 a.m. of that day at Purok 2, Barangay Capoocan.
Purchased from the suspect was one piece heat-sealed transparent plastic sachet of suspected shabu, subject of sale.
Also confiscated from their possession and control were 13 pieces of suspected shabu, three units of cellphones, and cash money amounting to P1,180 in different denominations.
The suspects will be facing charges in violation of Republic Act (RA) 9165 or the Dangerous Comprehensive Drugs Act of 2002. (RONALD O. REYES)

TACLOBAN CITY- The city government here is engaging barangay health workers as part of its measures on the fight of possible spread of the coronavirus disease 2019(COVID-19).
On Wednesday, about 450 barangay health workers of the city attended a meeting with the City Health Office (CHO) lead by Dr. Gloria Fabrigas, city health officer, setting the guidelines for this undertaking.
“Although we have no case yet of the COVID-19, the city government continues its preparation for a possible case of the COVID-19 through congregating the barangay health workers to discuss the plan on strengthening the surveillance in the community,” Fabrigas said.
As one of the members of the Barangay Health Emergency Response Team (BHERT), the barangay health workers will help in the surveillance and monitoring on the prevention of disease in their respective community.
BHERTs are responsible for tracing of persons with history of foreign travel, identification of persons under monitoring (PUMs) and persons under investigation (PUIs), informing the CHO of suspected person after identification as PUM, monitoring them on a daily basis, and taking of their vital signs and taking their temperature three times a day.
Other members of BHERTs include the barangay captain as chair, the barangay kagawad who chairs the committee on health as vice with the barangay midwife or nurse, and barangay tanods.
Above all, the CHO advices the community that the best prevention for this disease is to observe proper and frequent hand washing, avoid touching your eyes, nose and mouth as well as stay away from crowded areas. (MERY AN RELI, ANGELO BALDESCO and LOIJEAN TOBIAS,EASTERN VISAYAS STATE UNIVERSITY STUDENT INTERNS)

Pantawid Pamilyang Pilipino Program (4Ps) in Eastern Visayas Region takes part in the worldwide health measures, suppression, and provision of information related to the Coronavirus Disease (COVID-19) which was recently declared a pandemic, a threat beyond the global health emergency, by the World Health Organization (WHO).
4Ps Regional Program Coordinator Paula Unay instructed its regional, provincial and municipal operations offices to immediately coordinate with various stakeholders including the local government units, schools, and health facilities, and incorporate the advocacy on COVID-19 during the regular conduct of the program’s Family Development Sessions (FDS).
This is to help mobilize public health teams and to educate primarily the beneficiaries on how to protect themselves and others, and to avoid COVID-19 by taking preventive measures such as proper and regular hand washing and proper coughing and sneezing.

Some of the municipalities including Culaba in the province of Biliran, Padre Burgos, Pintuyan, San Francisco, and Limasawa in the province of Southern Leyte, have already started the said FDS initiative.
4Ps under RA 11310 is a human capital investment program that provides conditional cash transfer to poor households to improve their health, nutrition, and education. Its currently serves around 279,106 household beneficiaries in the Eastern Visayas Region. (DSWDFO8|mcSabandal|VPAquino)